Safe Spaces Inspire Student Engagement by Brooke Metcalfe

Emotional Health in the Classroom

bmetcalfe4 — 2023-11-27 23:12:33 UTC

For students of all age ranges as educators, parents, and or role models our duty is to provide learning minds with the opportunity to draw their own conclusions. If a space does not feel "safe" it is our nature to retrieve or adapt and hide aspects of ourselves to adhere to the needs of others. This is human nature, which is often more influential in adolescence.

Emotional Safety

bmetcalfe4 — 2023-11-28 02:33:30 UTC

A safe place starts with emotional safety and trusting your surroundings. It can "range from achievement-related stress, often coming from parental pressures, to overcoming language and social class barriers, family problems, and peer group and personal social concerns." This assures us that emotional safety plays a key role in student engagement in the classroom. We never know what emotional baggage a child comes into the classroom with. Therefore, making the role of a teacher one of both authority and nurture.

Psychological Safety in Synchronous Learning

bmetcalfe4 — 2023-11-28 02:54:14 UTC

Although this discusses students not in their early developmental stages, this still greatly applies to all of us. As a result of COVID there has been an increase in dependency on technology. Students from the University of Dundee reported after doing their own case study on students at their school that they favor anonymous methods of participation as to not face ridicule or judgment for their opinions or intellect. And that smaller groups promote more freedom of creativity and allows students to share their opinions more freely and comfortably. I think we can all agree that when COVID hit a lot of things about socializing with people changed. We spent a year hiding behind technology, making it even more important now to honor eachother especially in educational atmospheres.

How Can Educators Create a Safe Space?

bmetcalfe4 — 2023-11-28 03:07:37 UTC

This source is different from the rest as it is directly from the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, making it very dependable and well-researched. Three alumni from Georgetown University agree that the first year of college is actually a very developmental important time for everyone. College is considered more intense due to a bigger workload in college causing elevated social and emotional effects on students. "In the fall of 2015, 91 entering first year students at a private university in the U.S. participated in a mixed method study using written reflection responses and in a pre/post survey using Keyes (2009) Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). Gains were seen in psychological well-being with an increase in flourishing as compared to early semester moderate flourishing. Students reported that having one course that provided a safe space for them in their first semester, and that addressed well-being in college, was critical for them to succeed and thrive in their first year". They found that in the mont of November towards the end of the school year students experienced much more comfortability in creating their safe spaces whether it be a class or a friend.

Everything is linked to emotional well-being

bmetcalfe4 — 2023-11-28 03:19:42 UTC

In the book titled "We Belong" by Laurie Barron and Patti Kinney they found that in order to have a sense of belonging a student needs trusting relationships, safety, consistency, social and emotional competence, engaging student centered instruction, and team work. Throughout the book they pinpoint 50 different strategies to create community while also managing the classroom. One take away for me personally is in the chapter discussing trusting relationships. It says that, "positive relationships with teachers are particularly beneﬁcial for students facing the risks associated with poverty" (27). Hinting at the fact that genuine interest in your students lives can promote positive change in their lives and inspire them to keep engaging in the classroom.

Gaining a Student's Trust is Step #1

bmetcalfe4 — 2023-11-28 03:30:13 UTC

I found this article particularly interesting as I hope to teach first grade on day. And at that age students are very much still developing their social-emotional skills and the overall dynamics of the classroom. Using Symonds Elementary as an example they found that a morning meeting with students adhering to Responsive Classroom Model has revolutionized the day to day classroom management. This method consists of a fun greeting from the students to the teacher and vice versa. Then asking the group a question about themselves allows the students to engage in teamwork and practive good communication skills with their peers. I think about when I would come back from the weekend and my teacher would always as "What is something fun you did this weekend"? I always loved feeling included. Then you follow that up with some sort of social or academic skill based activity. And end with an overall morning message from you to them describing what the rest of the school day looks like. Keeping an open line of communication with someone of any age really, helps to enable trust and mutual respect. And also can prove to be fun in the classroom.